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Cleveland Browns reportedly will meet with WR Laquon Treadwell

By Thomas Moore

Jan 1, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Laquon Treadwell (1) celebrates his ten-yard touchdown catch against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the second quarter of the 2016 Sugar Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Laquon Treadwell (1) celebrates his ten-yard touchdown catch against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the second quarter of the 2016 Sugar Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Cleveland Browns are in need of help at the wide receiver position and will reportedly meet with Mississippi’s Laquon Treadwell.

The Cleveland Browns have a meeting planned with Mississippi wide receiver Laquon Treadwell, according to Pro Football Talk.

The 6-foot2, 221-pound Treadwell worked his way back from a broken leg suffered near the end of the 2014 season to finish his last year in Oxford with 82 receptions, 1,153 yards and 11 touchdowns. He saved his best game for last as he pulled in three touchdowns in the Sugar Bowl against Oklahoma State.

Treadwell’s size and productivity, he caught 202 passes and 21 touchdowns in three seasons with the Rebels, would seem to fit in with what head coach Hue Jackson is looking for at the wide receiver position.

“It’s an area that we need to address, obviously,” Jackson said in published reports. “I’ve gone on record before saying I like to have bigger, faster guys play the position. We have some very talented guys right now. They’re slight in stature, but they’re tough, and I’m looking forward to working with them and see if there’s more that we can gain from them.”

According to a story at nj.com, the biggest check mark against Treadwell is that he doesn’t have the type of speed that NFL teams are typically looking for, and that while he may be the first wide receiver off the board come draft night, he’s not a “slam dunk.”

That lack of speed means that Treadwell can struggle to gain the separation from opposing defensive backs often seen in a No. 1 wide receiver, according to Pro Football Focus:

"Treadwell consistently separates far less than most of the receivers in this class. Watching his tape shows a player that relies more on his physicality than getting open in the first place, which is fine for a receiver in college that is already a team’s go-to guy, but in the NFL may result in the ball simply not being thrown his way nearly as often."

However, PFF also pointed out that Treadwell’s size can help him overcome his lack of quickness:

"A receiver of Treadwell’s size but relative lack of blazing speed and quickness often saw press coverage at the line. Players tried to disrupt his route on release, screw up the timing of the pattern and generally attempt to make him an easier proposition to cover before he really got going. Treadwell consistently defeated this contact with minimal problems and showed an excellent ability to use his hands and shake any attempt at jamming him."

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If the Browns are interested in Treadwell it seems unlikely that they would select him with the No. 2 overall pick in the first round. As much as they need help at wide receiver, to invest that high of a pick on a player that is good, but maybe not that good, could be too high of a price to pay.

It seems more likely that they are doing their homework on Treadwell in case an opportunity presents itself to move down in the first round on draft night.

Treadwell will have a chance to answer questions about his speed today at Mississippi’s Pro Day. He did not run the 40-yard dash at last month’s NFL Scouting Combine, but will reportedly do so today.

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